Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-09-09
DETHRONED.

one man on board who is immensely popu
lar with the ladies and who is dctested by
all the gentlemen. He generally pay
more attention TO dress than the rest O
the masculine passengers do, and he il
more polite 10 the lady voyagers than tht
average maa passenger. For these com
mcndable qualities the men form a dislike
to him. and this dislike increases rs tht
voyage is prolonged and as they see how
much more his superficial accomplish
ments ias they call them are priced by
the ladies than their more solid and more
manly attributes. In the sacred precincts
of the smoking room (which it need hardly
he said he does not frcqucno he is gen.
orally alluded to as the masher" or that
adjective, dude
+. Charles Townsend, as the passenger
list called him, was a very handsome
young man. with a clean shaven chin and
a well kept mustache that was pointed al
the ends, the points taking sprightly up
ward angle. In the morning he walked
the deck with light, joyous, springy
step, and he wore check overcoat, with
a cape on the shoulders. The lapels Of
this cape We're flung backward and hs
breathed the morning air with an inno-
cent, childlike delight that caused the
young ladies to say: What a good young
man Mr. Townsend is How he loves the
pure. fresh air and never goes into that hor-
rid smoking room" You may be surprised
that we knew what the young ladies said,
but ii was all on account OF Bliffins.
Bliffins' wife was on board and WAS very
much in the confidence Of the young
ladies. She told him and he told us---in
the smoking room. We tried to get Blif-
fins 10 prejudice his wife against f..
Charles Townsend, in the hope that she
would poison the minds of tho young
ladies against him, but Bliffins wouldn' t
do it.
To return to Townsend's walks on
deck. In the morning he wore sort Of
fore and aft cap made Of the same check
material rs his overcoat-a cap that fitted
either end foremost. In the afternoon he
wore a dainty little silk turban cap and a
nice overcoat of black Toward evening
he put on an ulster with great buttons
and a huge belt. and on his head was a
brown Tam O'Shanter, in which regret
to state he looked exceedingly handsome.
In these deck walks he never spoke to any
of us as he passed by-nor we to him.
But when a lady came on deck he was
there every time. He stopped in his walk,
Brought his heels together in a half mill
ekry way that quite fascinated the girls
tso Bliffins' wife told HIM, and swept his
cap off with what Blitfins called most
captivating bow. Then, as the lady
gracefully reclined on her steamer chair,
Townsend in the most dainty manner
would tuck her rug around her, fixing 1t
just right, neat and trim, in a manner
which no one else on the steamer could
even initiate, and with another elegant
bow he would resume his walk, after re-
ceiving a sweet smile Of thanks from the
young lady 50 snugly ensconced in her
reclining chair The sight of these dainty
tucaings up drove the more susceptible
members Of our party into the wild dis
sipafion and cloudy atmosphere Of the
smoking room. Bliffins reported that his
wife said that the young ladies told her
that they hated to move after the dear
Mr.. Townsend had tucked up the rugs,
for he made them such q perfect picture
Of comfort. Then one after another the
ladies walked the deck with Mr.. Town
send. He accommodated his steps to
theirs. and inclined his head to hear what
they said in such a confiding way, with
such frank and genial smile on his face
that again all the masculine passengers
took to shuffiebOard or to moOdily walk
ing the deck alone.
OF course Townsend had most to do
with the getting up Of the usual concert,
and during the days of preparation we all
rich tenor voice could be heard with the
of the piano, played by Miss
Granger, the prettiest girl on board. At
the concert T. Charles sang my Queen"
in way that called forth great applause
from the ladies, and he gave Then You II
Me- as an encore. When il
became evident that he was going to sing
the second time John Muggins rather oS-
got up and went out with an
air that said: ''Oh. l can't stand any more
OF that kind of singing" and yet Town
send sang exceedingly well. In the smok
ing room that evening Bliffins sat on the
edge of one Of the little round tables with
q cigar in his mouth, dreamily putting and
gazing at the ceiling. At length he said:
'Well, boys, l don't know when heard .
finer voice than that Of Townsend's. Cul-
tivated, too"
Cultivated jackanapesr' cried Mug
gins. Il make it next. It's your play,
Brooklyn.
Its all very well to call him a jacka-
napes, " continued Bhtfins, serenely. but
could tell You something about Z. Charles
Townsend that would make you sympa-
thize with him"
'Oh. stop it"' This from Muggins
Its my deal We've heard plenty Of
Townsend for one night"
at seems" said Blifiins calmly, THAT
he is lonesome young man, who has
never had the sweet and elevating in
fuences of sisters affection He admits
that he has become cynical and at times is
very Respondent. But he thinks that
under the refining care Of young lady
who would take a sisters interest in him
he is capable of higher and nobler pur-
pose than has Yet animated him."
''RatS," cried the enraged Muggins.
'.Do you wast to be thrown overheard,
Blifiinsg Go on, deal out-deal out. Re-
tining fiddlesticks-'
"My wife informs me. went on the i'm
pertUrbable Bliiiins, that Miss Granger
believes it her duty TO do what she can for
Townsend. Iou will ell be pleased to
know that she is succeeding admirably, and
that Mr.. Townsend already feels his
doubts disappearing one by one She is
reading him extracts from q book she has
entitled 'Trre Nobility by the Rev DIR.
ScruGner. OF Chicago, think, and she tells
my wife that TowIsend's eagerness to he
guided By all that is noblest, and his child
ike
She Iacans childish" muttered Mug
C:Es.
-"Childlikc interest he takes in all
t,iat goes To the elevatins of the human
heart. has touched Ler deeply. What She
hoccS'-
MugSins rose and uttering a very, very
WO-1 G2Isi.cd dowu his c.rds
IN the table. drew his cap over his eyes
and went out on deck.
Now. see here. Blifflns," said Brook
lyn slowly, annoyed at having his game OF
euchre broken up in that way, ITS little
too bad of you to worry MuGgins like that.
You know he 5 struck On Miss Granger,
and it isn't pleasant to hear that she's so
gullible as to be taken in with that masher's 5
sister and sympathy racket"
Bliffins sighed wearily, and knocked the
n ShaS fr,m tho end of his cipar aud said.